Not Alone
by Kate Taylor
Summary: EO Angst one shot. Olivia's found herself too close to a case forcing her to confront a ghost of her own. Can her partner make her realize that she's...


Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not my own but are the property of Wolf Productions and NBC.

Rated: G

Summery: EO Angst one shot. Olivia's found herself too close to a case forcing her to confront a ghost of her own. Can her partner make her realize that she's...

**--- Not Alone ---**

Olivia pushed her hair on either side of her face back behind her ears as she made her way quickly out of the station house and began down the street. She was only partly aware of her partner's quick steps behind her as she pulled her coat tightly around herself to keep out the chilly, November wind.

For a moment, her ears tuned out the sounds of the busy Manhattan traffic, the sounds of blaring horns, of police sirens in the distance, of the many people walking along the same street as she was. She could hear only the sound of her own steps crunching on top of the fresh snow which had fallen the night before. Only the sound of her own steps... and her partner's.

But she never turned back. She had to sort this one out in her own head and she didn't stop walking until she reached the park. She sat down on a bench overlooking it and a moment later she could hear him sit down on the other end.

Her eyes remained focused forward, on the downcast sky, the heavy, gray clouds, on the light snow which now began to once again fall to the Earth. A sudden gust of wind sent a shudder through her and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

She cursed at herself, inwardly for allowing herself to once again get so close to a case. She'd felt for the young rape victim, possibly too much. She'd been unable to keep her contempt for the perp at bay during the interrogation. Now she wondered if she'd just cost them the case.

"Liv?" Her partner's voice broke into Olivia's thoughts but her gaze never strayed from the dark, heavy sky.

Elliot's concerned filled eyes were fixed on her as he began to question whether he should have followed her out of the precinct in the first place. Over their seven year partnership, they'd both worked cases that would sometimes get the best of them. Often times, they'd just needed some time to themselves to work through it alone. This one somehow felt different. She hadn't asked him too, but he felt he should be here, even if that meant sitting in silence. Whatever she needed to do.

For reasons even unknown to himself, he slid closer to her until there was no distance between them. She didn't move away, that had to be a good sign. For now, he turned his gaze toward the same gray sky as his partner.

"I guess I got too close to this one." He was surprised to hear her voice suddenly breaking the silence.

"All of those years watching my mother drown everything away." She shook her head, her eyes shifting toward the sidewalk. "And there was nothing I could do." She finally turned her gaze on him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She hadn't planned on confronting this 'ghost.' Not here... not today.

"I thought that I could help this girl... like no one was able to help my mother." She was no longer able to hold her emotions entirely back as a single tear streamed down her face. "Like _I_ couldn't help my mother."

She turned away once again to silently brush the tears away. She hated feeling weak and ever since she could remember, showing emotion for herself, crying over her own feelings, her own memories, somehow made her feel weak even in front of him, the man she'd allowed to see more of her than anyone else.

He remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to say, unsure that any words were even right at the moment. Instead he placed his hand on her back in reassurance, rubbing it gently. Her deep brown eyes again rested on him at his touch. He'd surprised her but she realized now that all she needed to know was that she wasn't alone.

"You're helping this girl, Liv." He finally said softly. "When she was crying in that hospital, refusing to talk to anyone about what had happened to her, _you_ got through." He reminded her. "We'll get this guy," he promised. "Just not today."

She nodded, focusing again on controlling her emotions.

"It's freezing out here." She commented as though noticing for the first time. "Let's get back to the precinct." She reluctantly stood. It felt good to sit so near to him. To feel his hand gently massaging her back.

Silence enveloped them once again as they started back, this time side by side. He seemed to sense her thoughts.

"Coffee later?" He finally asked, offering her a smile that made it impossible to say no, not that she'd planned too anyway.

She simply nodded, offering her own smile back. It was the first she'd been able to offer all day.

"My place?" She asked realizing that they'd both stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Sounds great," He replied before they both reluctantly turned back toward the precinct as the snow continued to gently fall on the busy streets of Manhattan.

- The End -

Kate Taylor


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